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Radon Indoors

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Radon Indoors

Radon Indoors

Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that can accumulate in enclosed places, such as a house. As radon moves through cracks in the soil, the gas can enter a house through cracks or other openings in the foundation and build up to unacceptable levels indoors. As radon gas is invisible and odorless, the only way to detect the presence of radon and determine the level is by conducting a measurement.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking, according to a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences. Radon in indoor air is estimated to cause about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States. Smokers are at higher risk of developing radon-induced lung cancer. Lung cancer is the only health effect which has been definitively linked with radon exposure. There are no immediate health symptoms, as lung cancer would usually occur years (5-25) after exposure. There is no evidence that other respiratory diseases, such as asthma, are caused by radon exposure and there is no evidence that children are at any greater risk of radon-induced lung cancer than adults.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the Surgeon General strongly recommend that all homes be tested for radon and, if levels are elevated, residents are urged to consider remediation. Four picoCuries per Liter (4 pCi/L) is the US EPA’s action guideline for the radon concentration in the air in occupied spaces of homes.